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Osteoporosis is not just the result of age and genes, our diet also plays an important role in the development of the disease.

More and more studies are showing the important role that our diets play in the development of our diseases. A common debilitating health problem that seniors suffer from is osteoporosis and nutrition plays an important role in the development of this condition.

Osteoporosis is a medical condition where a person’s bones become brittle and fragile as a result of hormonal changes or nutritional deficiencies, particularly deficiencies in vitamin D and calcium. As such, osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when the bone loses too much bone or makes too little bone. The bones thus becomes weak and a person is at risk from bone fractures from falls or even minor bumps. 54 million people in America suffer from the disease.

There are multiple factors that play into the development of osteoporosis. Certain kinds of foods may exacerbate or contribute to the development of osteoporosis. The following is a list of five junk foods:

Coke

Cola sodas may have a damaging effect on bone density due to the kinds of acids coke contains. One particular acid is phosphoric acid which when consumed in excess may have adverse effects on health. A study showed that people who drank more than 3 servings a day had 4% lower bone density than people who did not.

Sugar

Calcium is vital for bone density. Consuming too much sugar leads to high blood sugar which has been shown to increase urinary calcium excretion thus directly affecting bone density.

Salt

High salt consumption may lead to lower bone density. When salt is consumed, the body excretes calcium through urine, and this calcium is directly drawn from the bones. A study shows that for every 100 mmol increase in salt consumption, 1.4 mmol of calcium is expelled from the body.

Gluten

Excess gluten is damaging to the gut and thereby increasing the number of bad bacteria in the body. When bad bacteria increases in the body, it may lead to inflammation and thus lesser bone density.

Alcohol

High alcohol consumption is bad for the bones. Alcohol has been shown to interfere with calcium and vitamin D absorption not only in the stomach, but also in the liver. By affecting the liver, the activation of vitamin D in the body is compromised. Furthermore, alcohol affects estrogen levels in the body and thereby leading to bone loss.

Dawn Flemming is Director of Business Services at Geriatric In-Home Care in Fresno, California.

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